


Trials of Abdella

by suluismyspirit



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Mind Manipulation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 23:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13422351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suluismyspirit/pseuds/suluismyspirit
Summary: Kirk's called to be a diplomat to assist is negotiations between two warring factions on the planet. Before they will accept his help, however, they have demanded he make his way through the trials. With the majority of his bridge crew in tow, Kirk sets out to appease the leaders of the nations.Note: This is an RP between me and a few friends, thus the disjointedness of the writing. Or whatever.





	1. Chapter 1

The mission was simple, even if it called for four of the bridge crew to be on the away team. Sulu was required to fly the team down in a shuttle, the atmosphere of the planet making the transporters inoperable, and the turbulence requiring the best pilot to ensure the occupant's safety.

The captain, of course, because he was in charge of assisting in the peace talks. Spock had, of course, been left in charge while they were all away. Chekov accompanied them to deal with any damage the shuttle may encounter during the storm. Sulu was pretty sure the kid had somehow conned his way into coming along, the atmosphere wasn't all _that_ bad. Not that he minded at all. McCoy had been convinced, though Sulu would call it bullied almost, into coming by Kirk, naturally. The captains reasoning had been that they were going to need a competent medic in case one of them were injured.

And just why might they be injured? Well, aside from the usual dangers of visiting an unknown planet, by flying through a turbulent atmosphere no less, the entire away team was required to go through the trial of Abdella. Every simple mission had a catch to it. Reports had described it as a giant maze, filled with what was anyone's guess. Sulu landed the shuttle as close to the entrance as possible, shutting down the ship's systems methodically as the others gathered the supplies they'd brought. Sulu had his own too, of course, and he snatched that up as he followed the others out of the craft.

The planet they were on was much like any other M class planet. There were trees, grass, flowers, dirt, insects. The works. A short walk away there stood a temple built into what looked to be a mountain. According to the natives, they needed only cross through and on the other side was the city in which the leader resided. It was only after they passed this test that the leader would accept Kirk as mediator.

For a civilization advanced enough to request assistance from Starfleet, Sulu thought they had some pretty archaic rituals. But they had orders, so he followed along as the captain led them toward the doors, two robed men waiting to greet them.

As for the good doctor... Well, he wasn’t so easy going about the whole thing. Absolute hell. Yes, that would be the most appropriate choice of words for the inner feelings McCoy was currently dealing with as they left the craft. Although they hadn’t even started, the doctor was already grumpy and dreading the mission given to them. He had told Jim flat out the potential health hazards and dangers they could encounter, if they were to come across any, could bring a risk to their entire well-being. However, his concerns hardly proved to be useful in convincing Kirk to leave him behind. As chief medical officer, he was entitled to look out for the welfare and safety of the others. The priority this time was the away team, and so he was required to join the crew. Therefore, Leonard was now finding himself in the company of the other three, stumbling upon some strange planet and practically walking with no real sense of clear direction. Sure, there were expectations and they had been told some stuff yet the doctor wasn’t feeling too optimistic at this point.

A frown, expressing his dissatisfaction with the mission, despite its necessity, hadn’t left his face since they had arrived and most likely was not going to dissipate any time soon.

Exploration missions were either extremely boring or extremely exciting. For the Russian, it was the latter. Sure, maybe he had pulled a few things to get assigned to the party, but it had been so long since there had been any action. The most he had seen before this was when Hikaru rigged the panel making it play music at random times. Of course he had been in the center of that and he had promised that he would get back someday.

And a landing party was just the way to do it.

Still, as he walked with the others closer to the imposing, robed men, apprehension began to bubble up. Something going on was basically a given; if there weren't any dangers, why would there be a need for federation star ships? Uncertainty grabbed a hold and made its presence known on Chekov's face. He hurried to catch up to Sulu, matching the Asian's stride once he got there.

"Do you zink zey vill let us in?" he asked quietly, being careful to keep his voice low. "Vith, ze Keptain, I mean." the thought had crossed his mind a few times as they had traveled to the planet. He knew that Kirk was supposed to go in and pass some sort of test, but would the others be allowed to go with him?

“We go in together or not at all, Mr. Chekov," Kirk's answer was firm as he glanced at the young man. "I'm not leaving anyone alone on an unfamiliar planet with no way out."

Chekov flinched slightly at Kirk's sharp words. The Russian hadn't meant anything negative by his questions. In fact, he would've been crushed if they weren't all allowed to continue together. The words did, however, strengthen his trust and hope in the captain. It definitely showed that Kirk cared for his crew and would do nearly anything for them.

The four reached the large stone entrance to the Mountain, marveling at the intricate carvings and massive statues that adorned the main pathway. One of the robed beings came forward, holding out his staff as if to hail the newcomers. Kirk mimicked the gesture, doing the same though lacking the staff.

“My name is James Kirk, captain of the Federation Starship Enterprise. These are officers Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov, and Leonard McCoy," the captain said, forgoing the other's rank as he knew it meant nothing to these, "We received your signal and were sent from Starfleet Headquarters to negotiate a peace treaty with your leaders." Kirk had to admit that he felt apprehensive as well about the situation. Perhaps it was that the robed men had not yet shown their true faces, or that they did not seem very open to conversation- whatever it was, he hoped their leader would be much more interactive.

As if responding to the captain's thoughts, the robed man who had hailed them gave a short nod, motioning to his similarly-dressed companion to allow the four officers inside their sacred temple. "You will enter," he said in an ominous tone. "And you will face the three tasks set upon you. Only one who succeeds shall be allowed to negotiate for our planet's survival."

Kirk looked back at his companions before turning forward again, towards the dark, gaping abyss of the unknown. "We accept your challenge."

Sulu waited with the others, still just gazing at the intricate detailing on the marble, as the captain greeted the robed men. He turned to grin at Chekov. “You can’t get out of this that easy.” He keeping his voice low as well. For some reason it just felt odd speaking too loudly at this temple…shrine… whatever it was. It gave Sulu an odd feeling.

He was glad they seemed to have no issues with the entire team entering. Kirk might have been adamant about leaving no man behind, but it would have created unnecessary problems. He was quiet as they walked into the temple, hardly noticing as the decorative marble walls turned to rough wet stone. The only thing keeping them from being plunged into complete darkness as the doors behind them closed was the glowing quality of the jewels embedded in the rock walls.

He didn’t know why, he’d been in worse places on away missions, done more dangerous things, but this place was just… _off_. Hikaru didn’t even have any comments to make to Chekov about the glowy lights or the ever increasing moisture in the air. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this unnerved about something, and the quiet rushing, hissing sound that was growing steadily louder the longer they walked wasn’t helping.

In response to Sulu's tease, Chekov sent a small smirk. "And neither can you," he countered, before growing serious. He couldn’t shake the chill that had ran up his spine as the leader had spoken. His voice had sounded dark and menacing, though he couldn't tell if it was meant to be interpreted that way or not. Just three tasks. That didn't sound too hard. The only part that Chekov was unsure about was that the man had mentioned that the "only one who succeeds". What was that supposed to mean? Apparently he thought they weren't going to do well, and that certainly didn't sit well with the young man.

Chekov wasn’t the only one who had picked up on the robed man’s words about only one who succeeded this task. _Well, that just made him feel more at ease now, didn’t it?_ Begrudgingly, McCoy followed the three from behind thinking to himself how he wished he wasn’t the last one having to enter this obscure realm. He looked warily at the two men who seemed to be preserving the entrance and walked in, the sound of footsteps and the others talking being the only thing that could be heard as they proceeded with caution at a moderate pace.

As they moved on, Pavel was drawn from his thoughts as the walls began to close in somewhat. He wouldn't say he was claustrophobic (you couldn't be if you lived on a Starship), but there was definitely a feeling of dread filling his stomach with the thought that if something suddenly happened, there would be no way out. He shivered despite the stale, warm air. Something wasn't right. He considered warning the captain to be extra careful, but brushed the thought of knowing that Kirk was most likely on the highest alert. Besides, he didn't know if the hooded men were watching or if they would be offended by the remark. Instead, he chose to stay quiet and hover close to Sulu, the fingers closest to his phaser twitching in apprehension.

Sulu noticed Chekov walking closer, but he couldn't really blame the kid. Up ahead there was a dull light, a bit of a breeze blowing mist in their direction. The sound of water reached them through an opening up ahead, a stone archway carved into the cave wall. Through it was a precipice, a roaring waterfall to the left.

There was a flash of light, a blue beam flitting over the group quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Sulu frowned, head tilting as the waterfall shifted colors suddenly, turning an opaque type of green. Yeah, this place was weird...

Bones felt sick and it wasn’t necessarily a nauseating feeling resulting from any specific diagnosis besides the unrest he had to endure. The doctor was a little anxious but attempted to suppress it with reassuring thoughts, a display of conviction seen across his face. There were four of them so surely the odds would be in their favor.

Now they were at a strange-looking part of the temple and the doctor could easily think of some drugs that could cause one to see more than just psychedelic-colored waterfalls.

But all of a sudden he was feeling… indifferent. McCoy brought the heel of his hand to his eye and rubbed it, feeling a slight irritation at the corner of his eye, but now that part of him ceased to itch.

Sulu was trying to shake off a sudden feeling of irritation, looking around for a way down. There was a gathering of stones that would serve as an anchor, allowing them to tie off a rope and repel down the small cliff to continue on their way. "You got the rope Chekov?" he asked, a bit snippier than was normal.

Chekov had fixed his eyes upon the changing waterfall. It was beautiful, that was for sure, but for some reason he just wasn't feeling it. He was beginning to contemplate this when Sulu spoke up, tone sharp.

The Russian whirled around to face the other, a strong wave of negative emotion washing over him. "Rope?" he repeated, voice holding nothing but contempt. "No one told me to bring a rope!" he folded his arms. "Besides, I'm _alvays_ ze one who people go for when zhey need help. 'oh Chekov do zhis, Chekov do zhat'. Vell, I am tired of it!" he turned his nose up and peered down at Sulu despite being a bit shorter than the Asian. "If you need a rope, you should've brought one yourself."

Sulu whirled around at the Russian’s first words, scowling, the irritation turning into full blow anger. “It was in the report, or didn’t you bother to read it?” He swore, rolling his eye and looking at Chekov in disgust. “Trust you to mess up the mission before we’ve even begun.” Sulu crossed his arms, glowering at the younger man. “Always the one people turn to? Hah. You’re seventeen, can’t even read a mission report to know to bring _rope_. Who would _possibly_ want help from _you_.” He pointed out, poking Chekov for emphasis, all but shoving him on the last word.

Immediately the doctor could sense that there was a problem as contention was now beginning to transpire between both the young Russian and the pilot. McCoy straightened up in a calm composure and placed a gentle hand on Chekov’s shoulder. “Now, now, what is the sense in fighting when we are here in such a beautiful place, on a planet that we know nothing of in the middle of no other than glorious space, itself?” Let’s step back and take this in for a second…” Leonard took a deep breath, taking in the lingering scent that added to the nastiness of the atmosphere. “Mmm, oh how I miss the south!”

He smiled and turned to the Asian, taking Sulu’s hand into his own so that the Asian would not hurt the other. The doctor studied Sulu for a moment before tilting his head, an endearing smile now apparent on his face. It was such a joy to be here with great friends next to this beautiful waterfall as well as being in company with no other than Kirk, who in no question was the best candidate that anyone could have chosen to be their captain. He was always proud of Jim for the _hard_ , earnest effort he put into following the rules. “Mister Chekov is very capable of reading reports just as you are in flying the Enterprise. We could never have asked for a better pilot. Thank you, Mister Sulu”

Chekov stumbled back, catching himself just before he was about to fall. "Zhere vas no such zhing!" he retorted, nearly screaming. His face was starting to turn red and anger was all that he felt. Why was Sulu insulting him so?

“ _Pleny_ of people ask me for help! Vhy, just zhe ozher day ze Keptain upgraded me to Chief Engineer. I don't see _you_ getting any promotions. I guess you are destined to always be a silly, old pilot."

McCoy stepped in then, and Chekov glanced at him for a split second, before returning his fiery gaze back to Sulu. "Ve are fighting because he is accusing me of doing somezhing zhat I have no knowledge about!" he grew quiet as the doctor said some other things; something about a beautiful planet and peace... But that wasn't what Chekov wanted to hear. He scoffed as Bones complimented the pilot, rolling his eyes. "And how many times have ve lost zhe Enterprise vhile he vas in control? Too many!"

“You’ve never BEEN in control of the Enterprise!” Sulu retorted, completely forgetting anything Bones had just said to him, shaking the doctor off. “This silly old pilot is the only thing that kept you from dying in a fiery crash _multiple times_ because _you_ couldn’t keep the ship in the air!”

Chekov wasn't going to back down. In fact, he was getting close to his breaking point. "Vell, I'd much razher be dead zhan hawe to deal vith you ewery day!" he was about to say more, but Sulu cut him off.

“NO sane person would put a CHILD in charge of ANY ship, much less the Enterprise!” By this point, Sulu had lost all sense of reason, and it was by the barest thread he hadn’t launched himself at Chekov.

McCoy sighed watching the two argue back and forth. It was difficult to fathom that people had the ability to make such snarky comments towards each other. This is why he loved the federation and its promotion for peace because it stopped things like this from happening. The doctor considered himself to be a very peaceful person who couldn’t imagine uttering any unkind word such as what these two officers were doing. Right now they were in desperate need of a heroic figure to step in and put a stop to this conflict.

Scratching the back of his neck and shrinking away a little, the doctor turned to the captain with a perturbed smile, seeming to be acting nervous. “Captain, please help me.”

"A _child_?!" If he weren't so agitated, this would've been a big blow to Chekov. "You do not know vhat eet's like to hawe high expectations, or knoving you hawe to honour your family! You'll _never_ knov vhat it's like to be a child prodigy!" he didn't care that his voice was echoing off the walls at this point. All he could see, all he could feel was anger and hate for this one person. He had never felt such a thing before, but now he just simply didn't care.

Besides, he had had enough of talking, it was getting them nowhere. He shoved Sulu back, raising his clenched fists up and glaring at the Asian with narrowed eyes. "Let's settle zhis like men, zhen you'll see how much of a _child_ I am."

Kirk had barely a moment's time to register what was happening to them before Chekov's fist came flying towards Sulu's- or rather, his own face, as the captain had quickly stepped between the two men, catching Chekov's wrist and preventing any physical harm from actually happening. "Whoa, why are you arguing all of a sudden? You are both equally qualified officers to me so there is no need to-"   
He was interrupted of course by Sulu, who pushed him right back trying to get the interfering person out of the way. Obviously this was not going to work. If this nonsense continued they would never make it down intact.

Rolling his eyes, Kirk turned to Bones, who had gotten out of the way and was currently pacing with his hands behind his back, whistling nonchalantly. The sight made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Bones! Bones, get out your medical kit, please?" Whatever strange spell had come over the other three, he silently admitted to himself that it was good to have two out of four members who could try and break up the other two, _without_ something else happening. However, the thought of strangers who dared to mess with his fellow crewmens' minds made Kirk narrow his eyes as he was handed the box of medical supplies.

“Fortunately you've done this to me a few times too many," Kirk said under his breath as he dragged Chekov over to the wall and sat him down, taking out the scanner and pointing it at his face. The tiny screen flickered, showing strange fluctuations that worried him immensely. "Okay, that does _not_ look good..." At first he wondered if maybe the device wasn't working, but upon pointing it at himself to check his own vitals, he discovered it was perfectly fine. The same flickering occurred when he scanned both McCoy and Sulu, increasing the captain's wariness of the situation.

Chekov wriggled and squirmed all through the examination. Kirk was speaking to McCoy about him or some such thing, but all he cared about was glaring at Sulu though he sat obediently as the Captain and doctor spoke.

“Do NOT touch the water, guys," Kirk said as Bones approached him, wanting to help. "Good thing you're not complaining. I'm gonna need you."

McCoy laughed after hearing Jim express his gratitude to him. "Why of course, Jim," he said walking over and standing next to the captain. "I don't think I've ever complained in my life so we should be fine." The thought of him murmuring in any fashion was amusing to the doctor, as there was no way he could imagine himself being such a person with a nature like that. Sadly, Chekov and Sulu were individuals that struggled in that department and the doctor glanced over with a sympathetic look, hoping that all would go well and that they would quickly return to being friends.

He wasn't entirely sure as to why they were ordered to not touch the water but he trusted Jim and his good judgement. Never had there ever been a time where McCoy doubted the other as far as he could recall. As the doctor was thinking to himself there appeared to be some evidence of distortion going on in his head, as if his mind was clouded like a misty fog, but he chose to ignore it.

“Would you like a hug, Jim?”

Kirk stared at his friend as if he were crazy- in all his years knowing him, the man had supported him through everything in life, but NOT usually like this. "Would I like a- what? No, this is not the time!"

He started, sighing as he felt a pair of gentle arms slip around his shoulders anyway. "Okay...okay, could you just- just take care of Mr. Chekov here while I go stop Sulu from doing something else _weird_ like this." Feeling a bit guilty, Jim shrugged off his friend's embrace, hesitation clear on his face as to the rest of his plan. McCoy pulled a still-angry Chekov to a lower spot in the rocky terrain, trying his best to deal with the Russian's loud complaining.

“Mr. Sulu..."

Sulu was far more interesting in glowering at Chekov than listening to Kirk. “If you have half as much trouble reading English as speaking it, it’s no _wonder_ you forgot the rope.” He snapped over Kirks shoulder, determined to get the last word with the Russian, before finally turning his attention to Kirk. “Yes, _captain_?” He said, pacing around irritably.

Chekov had just begun to settle, Kirk’s examination having come to a conclusion, when the captain’s attention switched to Sulu. At first Pavel thought he had won and was about to smirk, but at that exact moment the pilot spoke up again.

"I can read english just fine!" he shouted, hands still clenched at his sides. He had half a mind to go back up there and challenge the Asian again, but decided that screaming insults was just as good. "And at least I get zhe ladies! Zhey alvays say my accent is cute. I hawe _never_ seen a voman vith you."

As Chekov began talking again, Sulu let out an angry sigh, looking past Kirk again. If that brat didn’t start showing him some respect, he’d go over there and _make_ him. Sulu just stopped at the Russian’s last comment however, staring at Chekov for a moment before a look of pure disgust crossed his face.

“Gentlemen, I give you our child prodigy. Calls himself a prodigy.” He scoffed coldly, relaxing back and waving an arm at Chekov. He knew he had the upper hand, and he didn’t even try to keep the smug expression off his face.


	3. Chapter 3

Chekov wrapped his arms around himself and bit his tongue, seething. If Sulu had that much nerve to say that in such a manner, he definitely deserved a punch in the nose. In fact, the Russian quite liked that idea. Rushing forward before anyone had a chance to catch him, Chekov ran up and aimed a fist towards Sulu's face. He darted away just after contact, cradling his hand as he watched the Asian from afar. He wasn't expecting his hand to hurt like that, but he supposed it was normal.

Sulu rocked back, hand over his face, more shocked than hurt. Though it _had_ hurt. Tensing, the Asian looked up slowly at Chekov, eyes dark. If he thought he’d get away with that… Sulu ground his teeth, began to say something then stopped. They were way past that now. Bones and Kirk completely forgotten, Sulu stalked forward a few steps before losing all semblance of control and simply lunging at the smaller officer. He collided with him roughly, tumbling over the hard ground, lashing out near blind with rage.

Chekov couldn't help but let out a small yelp as Sulu tackled him and they went down. He had expected it, sure, but the pilot was a lot heavier than he had expected. The breath got knocked out of him and for a few seconds Chekov was simply trying to figure out which way was up. It wasn't long before he could feel Sulu's hits however, and he was soon delivering them himself while trying to wriggle out of the older man's grasp. Somehow he found himself on top. Trying to make the most of the position while it was still his, the young officer tried to pin Sulu's arms. "You vill not vin!" he gasped determinedly.

Sulu did his best to keep his arms free, rage cooling enough that he could plan his next move rather than relying on instinct. “If you think I’m going to let some two-bit kid…” he panted, struggling to flip the other off of him. Failing that, and having one arm trapped, he reached up with the other, grabbing Chekov’s collar and yanking him downward, slamming the Russian’s face into his head. Sulu shoved Chekov away as his grip loosened, scrambling to his feet and rubbing his head. Damn, that kid had a hard head.

Chekov smirked as he got one arm under control. Maybe he was paying too close attention to Sulu's words, or maybe his opponent simply had thought out his plan better, but whatever the case, Chekov suddenly found himself being yanked down and colliding with something hard. Stars floated for a moment and he could feel the hard ground beneath his feet once more. Warmth began to trickle down his nose but he hardly noticed it, scrambling to his feet. He looked towards Sulu and crouched slightly, hopping from foot to foot. He was at a loss of what to do. He considered using his speed again and knocking the Asian over, but there was a high likelihood that Sulu would simply drag him down with him. Still, he couldn't think of anything better to do, so he put his head down and started to sprint towards Sulu at high speed.

Sulu looked up in time to see Chekov coming at him again. He didn’t have time to get out of the way, though he did take a step back, half tripping the Russian and causing him to fall a bit short, giving Sulu a chance to come out on top as they hit the ground. Again. He wasn’t sure if it was the anger or the waterfall causing the roaring in his ears, but Sulu was done playing. He struck out once before his hands sought to wrap around Chekov’s neck.

Having his head down, Chekov didn't see Sulu shift, tripping before he had any idea what was happening. Before he had a chance to get up, the pilot was on top of him. Chekov thrashed and kicked, but he couldn't seem to break free. He saw Sulu's hands moving closer to his neck, but try as he might he couldn't stop them. His hands met Sulu's as the Asian wrapped his hand around the airway, still trying to pry them free. Slowly, ever so slowly Chekov could feel the air growing scarcer. He opened his mouth and gasped, but that only seemed to make the matter worse. Staring up at his opponent, the Russian couldn't help but wonder if it had been a good idea to challenge him.

“You've got to be kidding me, guys, you are better than this!" Kirk exclaimed, rolling his eyes at McCoy, who had been holding onto him like a frightened child for the last five minutes. Jerking his arm away and reaching into his pocket, he grabbed one of the hypos he took from Bones' medical kit, knowing that this was the only way he could break the spell that had overcome all three of them. Either that or knocking them out himself, which he would never do. It was risky, but seeing that Sulu and Chekov were already at each other's throats and would not last much longer without interference, the captain decided he would take the chance.

The sedative worked instantly as Kirk pressed it to Sulu's neck, prying him off the younger man and carefully setting him down on the floor. He could practically feel McCoy's jaw drop, but at the moment he couldn't care less. They couldn't see what was happening to them- someone with or without medical experience had to do SOMETHING. Seeing as, for some reason, the doctor couldn't bring himself to help break up the fight it was up to him.

“Come on, let's get you fixed up. This will help, okay?" He approached Chekov next, helping him up and having him hold a cloth to his bleeding nose while he went through their medical supplies for another hypo. Fortunately the Russian did not protest further but accepted the treatment, leaning heavily into the captain for support as he too fell into a temporary deep sleep.

“You're gonna be okay, kid," Jim said softly as he caught the younger officer in his arms, gently lowering him onto the ground as well. Feeling extremely guilty, he took off his own jacket, carefully folding it and placing it under Chekov's head so he might at least be comfortable for the next few hours.

After (surprisingly easily) convincing Bones to take his own medicine, Kirk let himself slide to his knees, reaching over to get his pack and going through it until he found the length of cord he had brought. It now occurred to him that this next part of his plan would be difficult- not to mention rather unsafe- but their conditions hadn't allowed him much time to prepare. If things had gone to plan they could've been away from here by now, but because the unnamed authorities in this place saw fit to "test" his suitability for command, his two favorite officers and close friends had almost destroyed each other. Couldn't there have been some other way?

The captain found himself cursing his own lack of intelligence at not foreseeing these events- though who could blame him? He was used to conflicts against aliens that involved phasers and piloting ships, not whatever this magic was. Shaking off any distractions, Kirk was just focusing on securing the anchor when a distant rumbling that sounded suspiciously like falling rocks came from behind him.

Immediately he got to his feet, checking to see what had happened when he realized that a stone stairway had somehow appeared along the wall of the cliff. That was definitely not there before. Kirk's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he realized that whoever had built this enchanted place had also been watching him this whole time. So they did want to keep them alive after all. Rappelling straight down a rock face carrying the dead weight of a fully-developed human male had NO advantages whatsoever- even though their technology could handle it. Despite making a mental note to have a serious talk with the mysterious entity, though, he had no choice but to go along with their plans.

Going back to where the three men were sleeping, Kirk quietly slipped an arm under Chekov's thin, lean shoulders, proceeding to carry him down the ancient flight of stairs. He did the same with Sulu and McCoy, being especially careful not to fall on the slippery stones himself as he got all three of them down to the base of the valley. Panting from the efforts, he pulled all of their blankets from their respective packs, making sure each officer looked as comfortable as possible before finally resting.

Kirk turned on one of their portable lamps for light, determined not to fall asleep as he kept watch throughout the night...


	4. Chapter 4

As time passed it wasn’t long until McCoy himself had finally woken up. Right as he sat up, the doctor gasped profusely and began to pant after realizing what had happened. As it dawned on him, McCoy could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest, as if it was a hammer being continuously hit hard against a platform of concrete.

Everything had come back to him in only a matter of seconds and he panicked now feeling very alarmed to the situation.

“Jim! Jim!” McCoy cried, using his hand to help support him off the ground before hurrying over to both Chekov and Sulu who were sleeping soundly. He wasn’t calling for his captain in means of help or for any specific request but instead, called out of initial shock which was slowly turning into frustration minute by minute.

How could Jim have done such a rash thing, he questioned himself. It was a very imprudent action of the captain and the doctor didn’t care if it was a last attempt at saving his friends, the risks and consequences were heavily severe.

After he had reached the two he immediately grabbed their wrists and checked for their pulse. A very annoyed frown was apparent but McCoy momentarily maintained his temper as his primary focus was to tend to the needs of the others. Their rate appeared to be at a stable from the traditional point of view, yet the doctor was wise enough to reach out for the medical kit and retrieve more definitive devices.

He glared at the captain.

“What the hell was going through your head, Jim?! You had _no_ right to do something as dumbfounded as that!” Unfortunately his raised voice was possibly going to wake the other two but he was in a state of rage, blood nearing the temperature of boiling point. “You can’t just put some unknown substance into our bodies! How did you know what solution I had in those?! You are NOT qualified to do such a thing and I don’t care if you try to justify it by saying you’ve had a little medical experience in the past or thinking it was done for the greater good… You could have killed us, Jim!”

They were lucky that the reading on the tricorder was showing no abnormalities as of now. Feeling satisfied that the pilot and navigator were out of harm’s way for the time being, McCoy then began to check his own condition. Dark eyes again flickered over to Kirk. “That was such a STUPID thing and who knows how many rules and regulations you just broke?! You can’t just sedate the first person you see who gets into an altercation. Don’t you dare touch any of that stuff again without my permission or approval! Why did you even bother bringing me along if you think you can just do this stuff yourself? For Pete’s sake, you are _NOT_ a doctor!”

There was no question as to how angry Leonard was feeling at this point. He was mad and was not willing to sugarcoat anything as he scolded the captain for his doings.

He had been wrestling with awakening before, but it was McCoy's outraged yelling that brought Chekov fully around. The Russian sat up with a slight groan and rubbed his neck. It was sore. In fact, everything hurt.

Bewildered, he glanced down at the red stained cloth by his side and suddenly everything came back. His heart pounded and he jumped up, nearly colliding with the doctor in the movement. His frantic gaze sought out Hikaru who still lay beside him. With a choked noise the navigator knelt down next to his friend and took the pilot's hand.

"I am so wery sorry, Karu!" he murmured, a lump in his throat beginning to form. He closed his eyes and tried to push back the tears. What had gotten into them? Though he couldn't recall details, he could clearly hear the nasty things he had hurled at Sulu, as well as see the fight that had broken out between them. It was so confusing, yet it was there and it had happened, there was no denying that.

"Please vake up, Sulu, I'm so sorry..."

Sulu was specifically trying _not_ to wake up. It was far better sleeping, though he wasn’t sure why right now. McCoy’s yelling he could ignore, to a point, he’d heard so much of it that it was nearly background noise at this point.

A certain distressed Russian, however, was less normal and had Sulu opening his eyes and sitting up with a low groan. He leaned forward, putting his head in his hands as the memory of what had occurred came back to him. What the hell had just happened? He hardly wanted to look at anyone, much less Chekov. But his friend was all but babbling apologies and Sulu couldn’t deal with that at _all_.

“Pav.. I’m fine. You don’t have to…” He trailed off as he looked over at Chekov, guilt increasing at the sight of him. “Jeez, look at you, I’m so sorry. Are you ok?” He wanted to check on Pavel himself, but couldn’t get the image of his hands around his friend’s neck out of his head.

Sulu had stirred. He was alive. Oh how Chekov wanted to wrap his arms around the older man's shoulders, or at least wipe the tears from his own face, but he couldn't. Seeing Sulu rub his face like that, and the look of pure guilt and remorse...

The Russian's limbs felt like lead and he simply sat there, staring right back at the pilot. There were words; Sulu asking if he was alright or some such thing. Chekov took a steadying breath and slowly nodded, now hyper aware of the dried blood on his face. Suddenly not wanting Sulu to see, he grabbed the cloth and vigorously scrubbed his face. Once he was sure he was good, he placed it on the side again and turned to face Sulu once more.

"Hikaru," he began softly, finally finding his voice. "Eet vas not your fault. And I'm fine, don't vorry." he paused and raised his arms, giving the other a weak smile. "See?"

Sulu didn’t quite believe him, couldn’t stop blaming himself even if Chekov said it wasn’t his fault. He attempted to smile back though, not wanting to worry Pavel. He’d gotten rid of the blood on his face, sure, but the marks on his neck wouldn’t be leaving so easily. Sulu’s eyes flickered to that before looking down. He ran his hands through his hair roughly, hissing slightly at the soreness. “This is just…” He stopped, shaking his head once. “Sorry.” He muttered again.

He looked over to where Bones and Kirk had moved off, trying to distract himself. It looked like McCoy’s tirade was running down.

“Least they look ok.” He commented to Pavel, a small attempt at turning to mood back to normal. He’d completely lost track of those two while he’d been trying to kill his friend…

Sulu smiled, but Chekov could tell it wasn't a true smile. He had known the Asian long enough to know when he was trying to mask something, and now was one of those times. He couldn't blame the other, however, as he was feeling the same way. Chekov couldn't help but wonder when they'd return to normal and get back to being best buds.

The Russian's eyes followed Sulu's as they trailed down to his neck for a few seconds. Chekov could see the unmistakable flicker of pain in Hikaru's eyes and was about to open his mouth and say something, when the subject was abruptly changed. Chekov's gaze traveled over to the captain and doctor who were presumably arguing over something.

"Yeah," he replied to Sulu's comment forcing a chuckle, but instead of making the conversation light, it seemed only to make it more awkward. Chekov fiddled with his sleeve for a few moments, dwelling on the pain in his neck and replaying the past events. It weighed heavily that Hikaru had actually tried to kill him, but deep down he knew that it wasn't his fault. He also knew that it was still haunting the pilot and sought to make him forget; at least for the moment.

Leaning back, Chekov tried to relax but he couldn't help but feel a prick of lingering fear. He looked over at Sulu and tried another smile. "So, er, vhat do you zhink ze next trial vill be?"

Sulu wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. The kid was—no, he thought to himself, not a kid. Because he could clearly remember that particular insult. It was one of the things Pavel was generally doubted for, his age. He forced the grimace off his face, turning to Chekov who was asking him a question. The Russian was smiling, forced though it might have been. Sulu could see the tension in him, and looked away quickly. “Uh..” He forced out laugh, trying to make a joke. “I don’t know, unsolvable puzzle?”

It was hardly funny, nowhere near in fact, but considering the thoughts currently circling the pilot’s brain, it was the best he could do. “You wanna go join them?” he asked after a moment’s silence, gesturing to McCoy and Kirk. Sulu didn’t think Chekov was too thrilled to be somewhat alone with him, and he hoped gaining the attention of the others would help.

Chekov had seen the grimace - of course, he had been looking at him - but the fact that Hikaru couldn't even look at him hit harder than expected. He looked away too, focusing absently on a random pebble as his heart pounded in his chest. He grinned some at the attempted joke, but honestly couldn't find the humor in it at that moment.

At Sulu's suggestion, Chekov nodded and stood up. He hated feeling this way. Hated not being able to trust his own best friend and not wanting to be alone with him. He bit his tongue and waited for Hikaru to stand, before moving over to Kirk and McCoy.


	5. Chapter 5

“Then next time maybe you could help!" Jim replied curtly, voice raising higher than he'd intended. He’d taken as much of Bones’ scolding as he could tolerate at the moment. "Nothing was getting these two apart and you want an alternative explanation? I wouldn't have had to resort to these measures if the _natives_ here had better ideas on how to evaluate the abilities of our crew to help them out! Was I supposed to wait it out?" He hadn't meant to insult his friend, of course, but tensions were running high after the previous day's events and to put it bluntly, Kirk just wanted this latest mission to be over as soon as possible.

McCoy rigorously rubbed his temples as the captain spoke, shaking his head in disbelief as if it was baffling to the doctor to hear Jim come out with such professed foolishness in handling the situation. He knew it was unwise and understood very well that Jim had merely acted out of impulse, due to the sheer panic he would have been going through.

This didn’t change the consequences and the hazardous risks that had been taken, nevertheless, and the doctor knew that Jim could get into big trouble if anyone else were to find out. Thank goodness Spock wasn’t around since Leonard could easily remember that time Jim had vented to him of the Vulcan’s actions that one time where Jim had almost been demoted. Spock was only telling the truth, however, and McCoy understood that people were subject to facing the consequences of their own actions.

Waving one hand out in a gesture of irritability, the doctor narrowed his eyes at the young captain. “So you’re going to blame it on the natives now?! Oh yes, why hadn’t we asked them to give a little advice before entering? Hey, Mister. Nice-robes-you-got-on-there-but-I-can’t-see-your-face, a cheat sheet could have helped! Dammit, Jim!” McCoy crossed his arms and looked away with a face showing a lack of admiration for his friend’s attitude.

Ironically, the doctor was in a foul mood himself, too, closing his eyes before letting out a dejected sigh as he began to cool off after the short, spontaneous outrage. He knew that it was in the captain’s best interest to look out for the welfare of his crew and at least Kirk had taken measures by means of helping his friends.

The captain sighed heavily. "Look, I'm sorry..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Chekov and Sulu approaching them, looking shaken up. Kirk felt off himself but he dismissed his uneasiness as nothing compared to what his favorite pilot and navigator had just gone through. The man wanted nothing more but to take their pain from them but even he didn't have that power. So he did all he could.

Seeing as his ‘conversation’ had reached and impasse, he turned and made his way towards them, asking, "Are you both alright? Is there anything I can do?"

Casting a sidelong glance to Jim, who was approaching both Sulu and Chekov, the doctor decided this would probably be the best time to organize his things. As McCoy went over and searched through his medical kit, a thought came to him all of a sudden. It caused him to pull a face of outright disgust, his face contorting into a repulsed sneer as if he had come across something revolting.

”Don’t tell me I just asked you for a hug…” McCoy said in a somewhat questioning and slightly disturbed-sounding tone as he turned to gaze in Jim’s direction. Both Sulu and Chekov were also situated there, too.

However, there was no need for any clarification or answer for the memory was plainly clear to McCoy’s mind and he knew that he had indeed hugged the captain, causing the medical officer to exaggerate a dry heave as a result. Turning back to the medical case and feeling satisfied with all that was there he walked over to where the other three were, standing to the side. Inwardly, McCoy swore to himself and came to a decision that if the Asian was going to use any of this against him as a way of torment at any time then he would hypo Sulu into oblivion.

Sulu eye'd the Captain and McCoy warily as he made his way over. They had been arguing, and he sincerely hoped it was their usual thing and not some by product of what ever had happened to himself and Chekov.

He was having a hard time even meeting Kirk's eyes as he and Chekov approached. McCoy was off to the side by now, gather his things, and seemed to be back to normal, albeit a tad more grumpy. Honestly, Sulu couldn't remember exactly what the doctor had been doing that had turned his mood so sour now. Hikaru had been too focused on Chekov to pay attention to the others.

"I'm fine.." he said, turning his attention on Kirk as McCoy joined the group. "I apologize for my behavior Captain." He stated, hiding behind formality. For all that he couldn't have controlled it, not that he even knew what it was that had happened, he still felt the need to apologize. Even now, after they were back to their old selves, he kept his distance for Chekov not wanting to cause him any more distress than he already had. He couldn't stop from glancing over at Chekov, still worried about his friend.

"Fine, keptain," Chekov replied quietly, head drooping some so he wouldn't have to look anyone in the eye. As Sulu spoke, his formality was unmistakable and the Russian couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Hikaru only used that tone if humour wasn't cutting it or he felt bad for something.

Chekov risked a glance towards the pilot, only to find Sulu looking at him as well. The navigator looked away quickly, wanting to run away, hide, and never come out. His trust in Sulu had dipped so low and he was wholly ashamed about it. He could only hope that the tension between them didn't get in the way of the rest of the mission. No sense in disappointing the captain as well.

"It wasn't your fault, Hikaru," Kirk said quietly, patting Sulu on the shoulder in attempts to comfort his friend. He didn't mind dropping the usual formalities when they were the only ones around, especially if it would make the man feel less awkward or uncomfortable. "If anything, the blame should fall on me. I'm the one that needs to apologize. You too, Pavel..." Jim waited until the younger man looked more at ease before sliding his other around his shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly. 

"Tell you what, when this is over why don't you take some time off? I do hear all the other ensigns' complaints about work, you know, when they think I'm not looking..." It was an embarassingly poor attempt to lighten the mood but it sort of just spilled, the tension painfully obvious to him that everyone was feeling shaken up after the..incident. However, before he could dwell on that any further a soft rustling was heard from the bushes behind them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Backtracking a bit at the beginning of the chapter. Just FYI, so you don't get confused.

The safe arrival of the away team marked the beginning of what for all purposes appeared to be a simple mission. Spock was left in charge of the enterprise with a bridge comprised of none of the original command crew. For several hours the Vulcan simply sat in the captain’s chair reviewing the ship’s duty roster, filing his log, and a dozen other responsibilities he could easily complete as the ship maintained a lazy orbit above the planet.

Approximately six hours after the away team’s departure, the communications officer called for Spock’s attention, having intercepted a coded message emanating from the capital city on the surface.

Spock moved over to the station, leaning down to read the message as the decryption program did its work. One eyebrow rose, and if he’d been one to express emotion it might have been incredulity. “Can you establish communications with the away team?” He asked the ensign.

The ensign pressed a few buttons, frowning in frustration. “No sir, the signal’s being blocked by some kind of interference. Should I try the city?”

The Vulcan shook his head in the negative, staring at the screen in silent contemplation for a moment. They could not reach the away team to inform them of this new development, and contacting the city would do little good as it appeared that the inhabitants of the planet never intended for Kirk to make it that far. Whomever had done the research and reports on this civilization’s request for assistance had very clearly done a poor job. Attempting to take a shuttle down to the planet would result in the loss of another away team as the temple priest mention in the report would likely not allow anyone else to enter. Flying the shuttle to the city was impossible. This left the transporters.

It took over twelve hours, but Scotty and his engineering crew were able to layer enough buffers on the transporters to cut through the atmosphere, though it would only beam to and from the city. The catacombs that the away team were currently making their way through was shielded too heavily to allow beaming in or out.

Spock left the bridge under the command of Scotty, knowing the ship was safe enough as the Abdellians had little weaponry available to them, none of which was capable of harming the space ship, and made his way to the transporter pad. In the interest of finding the captain without tipping off the indigenous people, he had procured a robe matching those of the priest hood that guarded the temple the away team had entered (though it was less a temple, more an arena). With the hood raised and the mask over his face, he would be indiscernible from the others.

The transport was rough, but the engineering crew’s work was excellent, and Spock arrived whole on the outskirts of the city. He made his way through the heart of the city, the chattering people avoiding him completely. He might have been concerned, but he saw that the others wearing the robe were treated similarly. By the time he reached his destination, it had been over twenty hours since Kirk and his team had entered.

He entered the dark cavern, making his way to the other’s location. The reason he knew approximately where they were located was the same reason he kept his disguise on, even in the darkness. Prior to coming to the surface, the Enterprise had intercepted another transmission, this one a stream of video. Whatever the Abdellians had planned they were monitoring it and transmitting it somewhere, Spock had a team working out where that feed was going. This was how, after nearly two hours’ time, he came across the group still very close to where they had entered themselves. They appeared to be unharmed, doctor McCoy being the only one on his own, the other three were gathered together speaking.

Kirk immediately straightened at the sound of Spock’s appoach, turning around sharply and squinting through the foliage at the cleverly hidden gray hooded figure that seemed to be following them- wait, were they _spying_ on them?

With one smooth movement he let go of Sulu and Chekov, removing his phaser from his belt and pointing it straight at the robed man who had been looking suspiciously in McCoy's direction. "Stop right there! One more step and I'll fire."

Know as he did Jim’s temperament and habit of acting rashly, Spock obeyed the captain’s order to stop. He did, however, reach up to pull the hood down from his head, the grey cloth around his face falling to hang limply around his neck.

“Captain.” He said flatly, eyes flickering briefly to the two officers standing near Jim. He made no move to continue forward, he did not know what mindset Kirk was currently in. Considering the behavior of the other three, it was entirely possible Kirk was not himself.

"Spock?" Kirk stared at the Vulcan in surprise, immediately putting away the phaser back into its place on his belt. Well, surprise was an understatement.

“Jim.” He began again, “I have some information.” He chanced moving closer, walking over to join them once Kirk had lowered his phaser. Likely the captain would want an explanation as to why his first officer had left the enterprise with no high ranking officer to command her, but the Vulcan didn’t pause to take questions.

“Our orders from starfleet involving this mission were both incomplete and misinformed.” He explained, looking over at McCoy briefly, pausing until the doctor joined the rest of the group.

”You recall our orders were to assist in the negotiations of a peace treaty between the Abdellians and their neighboring planet. It appears this premise was incorrect. At approximately 1300 hours, we intercepted an encoded message being transmitted from the planet. Contained inside the message were details about a competition or entertainment of some sort and what seemed to be prices. The dialect was too vague to be certain of the meaning. However, the underlying content of the communication implied that there had been no conflict in need of a negotiator. At 2200 hours another message was discovered and decrypted, though this one contained a video feed, show all of you, here. In short, you are entertainment.”

It was a long explanation, spoken quickly and in a low voice, but each word was no less precise for it. During which Spock shed his robe, he’d only worn the bulky thing to make it this far unimpeded, feeling far more comfortable with his Starfleet uniform that had been underneath. It was pointless to stay in disguise at this juncture anyway, the natives would have noticed he’d spoken to the captain and would know he was not one of them. Even if they did, he would not be allowed to lead the away team out of the trails.

”If we can make our way to the city, Scotty will be able to beam us abort the enterprise with these enhancers.” He concluded, handing each one of them a small device with a faint purple glow to it. “I recommend you do not lose them.”

As Kirk listened to Spock's explanation of why he was here and how things were going on the Enterprise, the look on his face quickly changed from shock to anger. As if mind-messing with his crew wasn't enough, they had to use him as a guinea pig for entertainment? Man were they going to hear about it.

"Thanks for letting us know. I'm glad you're here," Kirk said, patting Spock on the shoulder as he took the small enhancer device. "If there's really some ulterior motive behind all this, then I really want to know what it is.

Sulu wordlessly accepted the device, glad for the Vulcan’s interruption to this little party. It gave him something to focus on, a new problem that took focus off the images playing back in his mind. “Should we try and go back?” he asked, glancing around. He realized he must have been unconscious on the way here, so he wasn’t sure which way back was. And it was entirely too likely that the way back had been cut off by now.

“If we can be beamed out by getting to the city, Scotty might be able to pick us up back at the entrance?” Hikaru suggested. It was a weak suggestion, but he’d rather not stay in this place any longer than they had too.

Chekov offered a weak smile at the captain's attempt to calm him and Hikaru, stiffening only slightly at the touch. Time off _would_ be nice, but he and Sulu always tried to get shore leave off together. Going alone wouldn't feel right, but going with Sulu would also be awkward. The Russian frowned slightly at this thought, but was immediately drawn back as Kirk moved away and a rustle came from a nearby bush. Chekov instantly tensed, eyes widening on the cloaked figure as his own hand twitched by his phaser. He relaxed after realizing it was simply Spock, but he still remained alert as the Vulcan spoke.

A game? This was all simply a game for the Abdellians? A shiver of fear and anger swept through him. How could people be so heartless to the innocent? His mind strayed back to ancient history class and he recalled something about gladiators and how they fought to the death for entertainment. Chekov suddenly felt sick and turned away, absently fiddling with the device now in his hand. They had to get away. Sulu made a good suggestion, but if they were to go back wouldn't the way be clearer?

"Vhy can ve not beam from here?" he heard himself saying. "Ees zhere some vay ve can find some sort of opening or thin spot in zhe valls so ve do not hawe to continue?"

Spock turned his gaze on Chekov, addressing his question first. “This place is shielded, otherwise I would have transported directly here. If we were to go back,” He explained, glancing at Hikaru. “We would face a similar problem returning to where all of you entered, as the atmosphere on the planet makes transport hazardous. The beacons are attuned to amplify the transporter signal using the energy emitted from the city itself.”

The Vulcan was beginning to feel slight concern, they were lingering too long. Scotty was the one in charge aboard the enterprise, and as the Abdellians were monitoring them, they would be aware of this as well. Spock did not want to leave the Enterprise vulnerable for any longer than was necessary. “The route that I took here is not likely to be as easy to follow back, but it is the shortest distance and we should not linger here any longer.” He suggested.


End file.
